The Minister for Health – Hon. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu has supported the idea that Community pharmacists be trained and certified to administer vaccines and conduct COVID-19 screening and testing in accredited pharmacies using antigen-RDTs.This was in a response to two position papers submitted to the Minister by the PSGH on the 4th of March, 2022.

The Minister of Health in the engagement expressed his commitment to increasing access to testing and safe, effective vaccines. The PSGH believes that involving community pharmacies is a cost-effective strategy towards achieving this goal.

The Director of Technical Coordination at the MOH, Pharm. Dr. (Mrs) Martha Gyansa-Lutterodt on her part gave a policy perspective of the PSGH’s position. She reiterated the positive public health impact this move could have, citing the success story of the deployment of malaria RDTs in community pharmacies as an example

The Minister being satisfied with the arguments raised in favour of PSGH’s position papers instructed the director of technical co-ordination at the Ministry to lead the development of guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) in consultation with the PSGH, the Pharmacy Council and other relevant stakeholders.

The PSGH was represented by the Vice President, Pharm. Kwabena Offei-Asante, Executive Member, Pharm. Dr. Richmond Adusa-Poku, the Dep. Executive Secretary,Pharm. Harry Amoaning Okyere and CPPA leaders Pharm. Dr. Emmanuel Ireland and Pharm. Dr. Vera Asante. Also present was the CEO of the Food & Drugs Authority, Mrs. Delese Mimi Darko who assured that once policy is made available, enforcement of regulation will follow appropriately.